Going the distance: Game 9 video recap

First the good news - the Carlsen-Anand World Championship match in Sochi will now last longer than in Chennai and go the distance unless Magnus Carlsen wins at least one of the next two games. The bad news? Game 9 was the kind of non-event that gave the chess version of the Berlin Wall almost as a bad a reputation as the one that once divided the German capital city. Vishy Anand was better prepared with Black and Carlsen saw no reason not to inch closer to the title with a draw.

IM Lawrence Trent's video on Game 9 is, like the game, short and sweet:

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Replay the game below (or with computer analysis here):

1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘c6 3. ♗b5 ♘f6 4. O-O ♘xe4 5. d4 ♘d6 6. ♗xc6 dxc6 7. dxe5 ♘f5 8. ♕xd8+ ♔xd8 9. h3 ♔e8 10. ♘c3 h5 11. ♘e2 b6 12. ♖d1 ♗a6 13. ♘f4 ♗b7 14. e6 ♗d6 15. exf7+ ♔xf7 16. ♘g5+ ♔f6 17. ♘e4+ ♔f7 18. ♘g5+ ♔f6 19. ♘e4+ ♔f7 20. ♘g5+

1/2-1/2

Peter Svidler and Sopiko Guramishvili barely had time to warm up (after a cold rest day...), though there were some memorable moments:

You can watch the whole show below:

The Spanish commentators on chess24, Lawrence Trent and David Martinez, decided to popularise the Twitter hashtag #DoaMagnus in honour of Carlsen's "sleepy" demeanour in Round 8. It became strangely appropriate for Round 9, with the poses getting more unusual as the round progressed:

Even Magnus joined in at the end!

The press conference was slightly longer than usual after the short game, but still a cagey affair. Anand, who outprepared his opponent with Black, had more reason to be satisfied, but he wasn't interested in talking about his strategy:

I’m not going to sit and discuss scenarios with you here. There’s a match to play.

Carlsen isn't known for short draws, but as in Chennai he had no objection if it meant getting closer to the title:

It’s always better to be able to press a bit with White but on the other hand every half point brings me closer to 6.5. It’s a tough match. Right now it looks like it’s going the distance.

He was critical of his play...

I think my play has been quite inconsistent both in terms of preparation and overall play.

...but already sees himself as a man with experience going into a potentially nail-biting finish:

I think you can never be completely prepared. The nerves are always going to be there, but I’ve been in this situation before and, after all, the rules are still the same regardless of the match situation and what part of the match situation you’re in.

So Carlsen continues to lead by one point with three games to go:

In Friday's Game 10 Anand will have the white pieces are will surely go all out for a win that would set up a grandstand finish. Don't miss the action here on chess24!

See also:

• Official website
• All the games live at chess24
• Carlsen-Anand rest day blues
• Game 8 video recap: Slouching towards the title
• Game 7 video recap: Anand's monumental defence
• Tkachiev on Game 6 and blunders in chess
• Game 6 video recap: Carlsen blunders but wins!
• Game 5 analysis by GM Jan Gustafsson
• Game 5 video recap: Anticlimax!
• Tkachiev on Carlsen's problems in Sochi: "Magnus the wandering cowboy"
• Game 4: "Not good enough"
• Game 3 video recap: Anand storms back! 
• Tkachiev on Carlsen-Anand, Game 2
• Game 2: Carlsen powers into lead
• Game 2: Video recap
• Tkachiev on Game 1: Hotchpotch
• Game 1: Vishy wobbles but holds
• Vishy gets White in Game 1
• Tkachiev previews Carlsen-Anand 2